How to Write a Research Paper Step by Step

Writing a research paper is tough work. There’s an awful lot that goes into it and sometimes you can get bogged down in the details. But don’t worry, here are some helpful suggestions that you can use each time you do a paper. Follow these hints and you’ll smash them out in no time:

Pick the Right Topic

Brainstorm and Plan

Three Points and The Ws

Goals and Rewards

Pick the Right Topic

Picking the right topic the first thing you need to do right. Everything else pivots around this point. If you pick something you’re not interested in or have no knowledge about you’ll find writing all the harder. Pick the one that’s for you, the one that hits home and inspires you. Don’t waste time on something you hate, do what you love.

Brainstorm and Plan

Before any writing happens, make sure to brainstorm. Get some friends around for coffee and spend a few hours just talking it all through. There’s no such thing as a bad idea at this stage. Later, make sure you narrow your brainstorming session down into a bulletproof plan. Your plan is the backbone to any good paper. When you get stuck, go back to your plan. When you lose track of where you’re going, go back to your plan. A good plan keeps your paper on the straight and narrow.

Three Points and The Ws

Pick three main points that you’re attempting to answer. A good research paper will investigate something, so what are the things you are investigating? Find out what three points you need and build your essay around them. More than three is bloated, and less than three isn’t strong enough. After you have your three, make sure you ask and answer the Ws: Who; Where; What; When; Why and How. These Ws will add substance to your essay and give it the depth it needs.

Goals and Rewards

Small goals make a paper go fast. Couple these goals with little rewards. Say to yourself if you manage to get though the next few hundred words you can go for a coffee or take a walk by the river. Allow yourself time away from the writing, but only after you’ve hit the mark. That way you’ll be encouraged to keep going even when you feel you can’t. So what are you waiting for? Get writing!